Its a comedy, gangster picture, moody drama, and a masterpiece of filmmaking.
Harry:What do you mean its not really his thing?
Whats that supposed to mean?
Its not really his thing.
What the fuck is that supposed to mean?
Ken:Nothing, Harry.
Harry:Its a fairytale town, isnt it?
Hows a fairytale town not somebodys fucking thing?
In fairness to the marketing and advertising suits, however, how exactly wouldyoumarketIn Bruges?
Where would you pigeonhole it?
The disparate marriage of various genres inIn Brugesis a difficult one to distil and categorise.
Unfortunately, Coen-esque traits dont lend themselves well to posters or trailers.
His career trajectory sinceIn Brugeshas been on the up and up.
While Farrell gets the career-defining role, he may not even give the best performance in the film.
That honour might go to Brendan Gleeson who, as Ken, provides the films conscience and moral centre.
He also gets perhaps the films most memorable line, which well come to shortly.
), to slapstick (Ray karate-chopping Jimmy).
Whats most memorable, however, is the films sheer disregard for political correctness.
Theres no dramatic point to the violence per se.
The underlying message ofIn Brugesis simple: violence is always absurd.
This theme of escalating stubbornness leading to disaster has run throughout McDonaghs work.
He has his code, and hell never break it.
Theyre inextricably connected to their own moral, ethical and principled constructs.
Dont be stupid, Harry snorts derisively, before getting a gleam in his eye.
This is the shootout.
The principled rogues of other gangster movies are sent up as oblivious dunderheads.
There are so many great lines and scenes I could talk about.
I havent mentioned ze alcoves, Youre an inanimate object!
and Im gonna die now, I think.
I havent mentioned Colin Farrells brilliantly funny and almost certainly well-researched coked-up acting.
I havent mentioned the beautifully bittersweet ending.
Now… how is that not somebodys fucking thing?
See more of our Looking Back articles here.
